ALL GOOD PINOTS COME IN THREES
In 2023, Meininger's German Pinot Award entered its third round. Even more wines than in the two previous competitions, challenging vintages and a mix of established, up-and-coming and insider tip wineries guaranteed exciting tastings and lively, constructive discussions. We tasted our way through the competition and put the spotlight on Germany's best white Burgundy interpretations.
Imagine the following situation: A dinner with a large group of friends, good, down-to-earth dishes on the plates, a colourful mix of people sitting around the table, from ambitious, interested vinophiles to relatively untainted almost-never wine drinkers. The wine list is straightforward, everyone browses a little and the following agreement crystallises: "Let's order a bottle first and everyone drinks along." What will the choice be? White or red wine? German or international? Based on statistics and the experience of countless years as an observer of the wine industry, both privately and at tastings and competitions, we can say from the editorial point of view: the bottle will tend to contain a white wine, and it will most likely come from Germany. For some time now, white wines have been in decline in local purchasing statistics, with two thirds of German vineyards planted with white grape varieties. So will it be a Sauvignon Blanc?
Possibly, but with its expressive to loud flavour, it is likely to divide the public. A Riesling? Legendary, but too acidic for many. Bacchus, Kerner or Scheurebe? Usually too old-fashioned, too grumpy, too fragrant - and incidentally all in sharp decline in cultivation with a four-digit hectare decline since 1995. We are therefore even more specific: a wine from the Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay varieties will tend to be in the bottle. The popularity curve for all three is pointing steeply upwards; since 1995, each of them has gained a four-digit hectare area (more than any other white grape variety) and they are literally on everyone's lips. At their best, these three varieties are characterised by freshness, pleasantly dosed to present fruit, moderate acidity and above all: versatility. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris or Chardonnay somehow always fit and can do virtually anything from young, light and uncomplicated to mature, powerful and complex. The market is full of them, whether in restaurants, wine shops or supermarkets, and for us as a specialist publisher, this was the reason in 2021 to view, review and evaluate this mixture - the birth of our Meininger German Pinot Award competition.
A glance at the entries shows that this type of wine remains popular: For the third edition of the competition at the beginning of November 2023, our jury experts from the retail, gastronomy, production and journalism sectors had a total of 480 still wines (white and Blanc de Noirs) on the tables - and thus slightly more than in the two previous years. As before, the Burgundy Mecca is spread across the Palatinate (173 wines), Baden (116) and Rheinhessen (77), with almost all the winners and podium places coming from these three regions. The chasing pack once again shows that Württemberg is also developing into a top destination, especially for Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. In terms of vintage, the young 2022s clearly dominated with 353 samples, while prices remained very affordable and grounded with 414 of 480 wines under €20 and an average price of €13.33.
